Stop mechanism for button-hole sewing-machines



(No Model.)

E. D. 8v G. M. LUDLOW. STOP MEGHANISM FOR BUTTON HOLE SEWING MACHINES. No. 315,952. Patented Apr. 14, 1885.

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iINiTnn STATES PATENT Carien..

ERASTUS D. LUDLOW' AND GEORGE M. LUDLOW, CF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

STOP MECHANISM FOR BUTTON-HOLE SWING-MACl-HNES.

EPECIEICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 315,952, ated April 14, 1885.

Application filed August 4, 1884. (Ko mrdvl.)

. To all 1,072,071?, it may conce/'11,:

in Stop Mechanisms for Button-Hole Sewing-` -Machinesg and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this Specication.

This invention relates to devices used in button-hole sewing-machines for automatically disconnecting the drivin g-power from said machines, and for applying a brake to one of the moving parts thereof for the purpose of stopping the machine immediately upon the coinpletion of each button-hole; and the invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and pointed ont in t-he claims.

Devices embodying our invent-ion are herein illustrated as applied to that form of buttonhole sewing-machine in which the clamp for holding the material to be operated upon is actuated by means of two rotating grooved cam-plates operating in connection with a central ring-wheel-such, for instance, as is shown and described in Letters Patent of the United States granted to Daniel IW. G. Hum phrcy, June i3, 1871, and February 6, 1872; but said device may be equally Well applied to a well-known form of button-hole sewing machine in which the said clamp is actuated by a single rotating cam-plate, and also to other machines in which the necessary feedmotion is imparted to the said clamp by devices located beneath the top plate ofthe machine and which move continually in one direction while the button-hole is being worked.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view of the under side ci' the top or bed plate or table of the machine, showing those parts with which the present invention is directly related. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partlyin section, ofthe same. Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 are views in detail of portions of the stop mechanism,which will be hereinafter described.

In the machine shown in the drawings, A, Fig. 2, indicates the clamping device, clampplate, or cloth-clamp for holding the work to be operated upon, said clamp being located above and adapted to slide upon the top plate, B, of the machine. The clamp is in said machine actuated by means of two rotating cam plates, a portion of one of which is shown at A', Fig. 2, and a ring-wheel, (indicated at A2,)

the said cam-plates being provided with spiral grooves upon their upper faces adapted to engage a stud or projection upon the clamp and having spurs or teeth upon their peripheries engaged with corresponding teeth upon the ringwheel. The said cam-plates and ringwheel are constructed to rotate on vertical axes'arranged in a straight line transversely of the machine, and all of the parts last above mentioned are constructed and operate substantially in the manner described in the patents above referred to.

A3 A3 are vertical shafts or arbors upon which the cam-plates A are secured,and which are provided with bearings in a plate, B, attached to the under side of the top or bed plate, B, of the machine. Upon the lower end of one of the said shafts is secured a pinion, C, which engages a spur-wheel, C, rotatably mounted in a stud,rc, secured to the bottom of the plate B, the pitch-diameters of the wheel C and the pinion C being relatively so proportioned that the said wheel is caused to make one revolution while the machine is making one button-hole. In the particular machine shown the camplates A are arranged to make three-fourths of one rotation in moving the clamp laterally to stitch each side of the button-hole, and onehalf of a rotation during the time that the clamp is being rotated by the ring-wheel A2 in stitchingthe eye of the button-hole, so that the said spindle A3 rotates twice in making each button-hole, and the wheel C' is made twice the circumference of the pinion C in order that the said wheel may be rotated once in making each button-hole.

Fast-cned rigidly upon the under side of the wheel C is a dog, c', provided with an outwardly-projecting arm, ci, said wheel and arm being for a purpose hereinafter described.

D is the driving or balance wheel of the machine, which is secured to the horizontal shaft D' thereof, and is actuated from a driving-belt,

. of the lever.

tion to the machine when the disk upon the' pulley is thrown in contact with the said wheel, and to become disengaged so as to cause' the stoppage of the machine when the said pulley is released from pressure.

E is a bracket, which is attached to vertical part or standard B2 of the machine, and yE is a bent lever, which is journaled upon said bracket by means of a pivot-pin, e. The said lever is providedwith adepending vertical arm, E2, and ashort horizontal arm, E3, rigidly connected with the arm E2 at the pivot-al point To. the said lever .E is also attached a third upwardly-projecting springarm, Ff, adapted to bear at its vupper end upon a hub, d', yupon the pulley AD2,vso as to thrust said pulley toward the wheel lD when the lower arm, E2, of the lever E is thrown outwardly.

F is a slide-bar, which is supported in bearings F, F2, and F3 upon the machine-frame, and which is adapted to slide freely in a longitudinal direction in said bearings.` The said slidebar is connected with .and actuated from the wheel C', before mentioned, by devices that will be hereinafter described, and its end which is adjacent to the driving-connections above described is constructed to rest against the inner vsurface of the depending armE2 of the lever E. The said arm E2'is held in contact with the end of the said slide by means of a spiral spring, e2, secured at its ends to the said armv and to the machine-frame, the said spring tending to retain the upper endof spring-armA E2 at the outer limit of its movement, and the pulley D3 free from pressure. The hub d of the pulley D3V is, as herein y shown, extended to cover the central aper ture in the said pulley, and the end ofthe spring is provided with a knob or button, c', adaptedto rest centrally upon the said hub, and-thereby give a relatively small area of surfaces in frictional contact. "The horizontal arm E3 of the lever E extends inwardly from-the pivot e to a point beneath the Wheel D, and is provided with a vertical upwardlyprojecting rod, e3, which is inserted through ank aperture therein, and is adjustably secured thereto by means of nuts et above and below the arm. To the upper end of the said rod c3 is secured a brake-shoe, e5, which is adapted to rest against the periphery of the Wheel D when the arm E3 is thrown upward, and which-is suitably lined with wood, indiarubber, or leather, or other suitablematerial.

By the construction above described of the lever E and the parts connected therewith,

thev

,it will be observed that, when the lower arm,

engaged with the wheel D, and the brake-shoe e5 will be released from contact with the said Wheel,so as to start the machine, and that,when the said lower arm is drawn inward by the spring upon releasing the said arm, the brake will be thrown into contact vwith the wheel, and the pulley at the same time released therefrom, so as to stop the machine. The bearing F2 of the slide-bar F is so constructed as to permit a slight lateral motion in the inner end `of said bar, and a portion of the latter between its inner end and the said bearing F2 is made relatively thin and elastic, so fthat the said. Ainner end may also be moved in a vertical direction. The free or inner end of the slide bar is constructed to stand normally atthe upward or inner limit of its movement, so that it maybe moved downwardly to the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, but will return by its resiliency to its normal position. A vertical and lateral motion is imparted to the free end of the bar F by an arm, G2, upon the wheel C', acting upon inclined surfaces of the said bar in a manner that will hereinafter appear. The said slide-bar is held at one limit-of its movement by means of a spring, j', secured to the bearing F2, and resting at its free end against theedgc of the said bar. Upon the edge of the said slide-bar opposite tov that against which the spring f bears is formed a shoulder or lip, f2, and upon the, outer or lower face of the bar is another lip lor shoulder,f, said shoulders being adapted to engage a stationary projection, stop, or bearing, F', upon the machine-frame, said stopor bearing being herein shown as constructed to extend around the bar, so as to form an 'aperture for the latter, which aperture isA adapted to per-v mit both a lateral Aand a vertical movement of the bar and is made of a sufficient size to allow the passage through it ofthe shoulders f and f2. The shouldersf and f2 and the stop or bearing F are arranged to vlimit the inward longitudinal movement of the slide-bar yunder the action of the spring e2, attached to thek arm E2, and are located in s uch position las to retain the said arm at the outward limit of its movement, and the arm E* pressed against the pulley D, so as to keep the said pulley in engagement with the wheel D and the machine in operation. The endof the slide-bar F adjacent t-o the wheel C is located at one IKO side-of said wheel, and is bent in a curved shape to conform approximately to the path of the end of the arm c2 upon said wheel.

The said curved portion of the slide-bar is bent down in its portion adjacent to the end of ,i

the bar, as indicated at f3, -to form an inclined surface, f5, adapted to engage the edge of the arm c2, so that when said inclined surface is encountered by the said arm in the, rotary motion of the wheel the end of the bar will be forced downward. The position of the parts after the engagement of the arm with the bar Ainclined surface of the rib f.

is clearly shown in Fig. 5, which is a transverse section through the bar, showing the The wheel C and the arm ci in elevation. end of the side-bar is also provided vupon its upper or inner side with an inclined rib o1" bar, in such manner that the latter will beV forced laterally away from the center of the wheel by the action of the said arm upon the The curved portion fa of the slide-bar is made of greater width than the adjacentl part of the body of the bar, so as to forni a shoulder, f adapted for the disengagement of the end ofthe arm ci from the surface'f after the said arm has passed from contact with the rib f i, for a purpose which will appear in the following.

Vhen the slide-bar is in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2v of the drawings, and at the extreme limit of its movement to the right and is held in such position by the engagement'oi the shoulder f2 with the bearing F, the clutch will be closed and the machine running. The wheel Gat such time turns in the direction indicated by the arrow, the arm c2 being shown in the drawings as moving to wards and about to engage the slide F.

ln the operation ot' the stop-mechanism the arm c2 first engages the inclined su rfacef5 on the curved portion f3 of the slidebar and moves the end of the said bar downward, causing the lip or projection f to engage the bearing F', but not releasing the shoulder f 2 from engagement with the bearing. By the further advance of the arm c2, its end engages the shoulder or rib f 4, as seen in Figs. 5 and 7, and causes the slide to move laterally, by which the shoulder f2 is released from the bearing 5 but the slide is still held fromlongitudinal movement by the engagement of the projection f with the said bearing. The arm c2 iu its further advance passes beyond the endf; of the surfacef, and permits the end of the bar to spring upward or toward the plate B, so as to disengage the said projection f from the bearing and to permit the slide-bar to move longitudinally inward to the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. l. The arm c2 when released from engagement preventing vertical movement of the slide-bar, momentarily preserves its engagement with the the side ofthe said bar during the time that the bar is being thrown upward, so as to prevent the shoulder f 'i from engaging the bearing F before the projection f has passed over the edge of said bearing. rlhe bar, when thrown inward by the spiral spring ci acting upon the arm Ff, allows the lever E to swing on its pivot, whereby the pressure of the spring-arm E* on the hub d is removed, and the drivingpower thus disconnected from the machine. lVhen the arm FF swings inward to disengage the clutch, the arm E3 is obviously caused to rise and thus bring the friction pad or shoe up vagainst thewheel Di. This shoe overcomes by its-friction upon the wheel the momentum of the moving parts, whereby the machine is instantly brought to a state of rest.

The position of the slidebar with relation to the arm c'Z after the machine is stopped is that shown'in Fig. 6, which is a detailed section similar to Fig. 5, said bar being free at such time, as Vclearly shown in said gure, to move outward without coming in contact with the 'arm ci, the end of which passes beneath the portion ot' the bar in the movef ment referred to. The outward movement for startingthe machine is preferably imparted to the bar F in the machine herein shown by means ot' a handlever, G, which is pivoted at g to the under side of the plate B and projects outward beyond the side ofthe said plate, so as to be easily within reach of the operator. Uponthe saidlever, near its inner end, is secured a pin, g', adapted to engage the shoulder-f7 on the slide F, as seen in Fig. 4, when the outer end ot the lever is moved to the left, so as to force the slide to the right and start the machine. A dog or pin, gi, on thelever G is adapted to engage the inclined edge fa of the slide when the outer end of the lever is moved to the right, and to thereby disengage the catch f2 from the bearing F and allow the spring c'l to force the slide to the left when it is desired to stop the machine during the pro-- This latter decess of working a button-hole. vice for stopping the machine is more particularly designed for use in ease the thread is broken or other accident occurs while the machine is in operation.

It is evident that the stop mechanism hereinabove described may be actuated from the ring-wheel Ai by arranging a pinion to engage said ring-wheel, said pinion being mounted on a spindle or staff which extends down through the table and has a second pinion on its lower end adapted to drive the wheel C; or it may be actuated by the second grooved cam A in a similar way, or by or from any part of the feed mechanism located beneath the plate B, arovided such part moves continuously in one direction while the buttonhole is being stitched or worked.

XVe claim as our inventionl. The combination, with a clutch mechanism, a cloth-clainp, and a cam-plate or other movable part for actuating said cloth-clamp, ot' a wheel, C', actuated from the cam-plate or other moving part and provided with an arm, c2, a longitudinallymovable slide-bar supported in suitable bearings upon the machineframe, connected with the clutch device, and provided with a curved portion, f3, and with a rib or projection, f ",adapted for engagement with the arm et of the wheel C, and with shoulders f and f2, a stop or bearing, F', constructed for engagement with said shoulders,

and a spring applied to hold the bar at one limit of its longitudinal movement, said bar being constructed to yield laterally and ver- ICO tically in its `portion adjacent to the said wheelns'ubstan'tially*'as and for the-purpose set forth.

' 2. The combination, with a clutch mechan- 5 ism, a cloth-clamp, and a cam-plate or other movable part for actuating said clothclamp,

of a wheel,-C, actuated from the said camplate or other moving part and provided with an arm, c2, a longitudinally-movable slide-bar ro supported in suitable bearings upon the machine-frame, connected with the clutch device,

and provided with a curved portion, f3, and a rib or projection, f4, adapted for engagement lwith the arm c2 of the wheel C, and with shoulders f f2, said bar being laterally movable at its end adjacent to the Wheel C and elastic in its middle part to permit a vertical movement of its said end,a stop or bearing, F',

constructed for engagement with said shoulders, a springapplied to hold the bar at one limit of its longitudinal movement, and a spring appliedA to throw the said end of the bar adjacent to the wheel C laterally, substantially as and yfor the purpose set forth. 3. The combination, with a suitable clutch device, a cloth-clamp, and a cam-plate or other i moving part of the mechanism for actuating said cloth-clamp, of a longitudinally and laterally movable bar, F, provided with a shoulder, f2, a suitable stationary stop or bearing, F', constructed to engage the said shoulder, means actuated from the cam-plate or other moving part of thefeedlmechanism for moving said bar laterally, anda yjgiivbted lever, G, provided with a projection,Y g2, saifd bar F be- 3 5 ing provided with an inclined 'surface forengagement with the said projection Agvvhereby the said bar may be moved laterally,"'substan tially as and for thepurpo'se setforth.

4. The combination, with a suitable clutch device, a cloth-clamp, and a cam-plate or other moving part of the mechanism for actuating said cloth-clamp, of a longitudinally and 'laterally-movable bar, F, provided with a shoulder, f2, va suitable stationary stop or bearing,

-ERAsTUs n. LUDLoW.

GEORGE M. LUDLoW.

Witnesses: v

C. CLARENCE POOLE, OLIVER E. PAGIN. 

